An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but never break.
One year ago today, we got that blessed call every waiting mother can't wait to receive...
we got our referral call.
For those unfamiliar with the adoption process, receiving your referral is the day you receive word that China and your agency have matched you with a specific child...
your specific child...
your baby girl...
your daughter.
I'll never forget, my sister had been doing the math and following the lists and she had called me earlier that day- she just knew CCAI had a new list and that we were going to get a call any time.
I remember being so nervous- I wanted to believe she was right, but I was so afraid to get my hopes up because I didn't want to be crushed if it wasn't our time yet.
But sure enough, my sister was right! Sarah from our agency called, and she had the best news in the world... they had a little girl for us!
Clint happened to be out of town, so we had to do a conference call. Sarah had us both on the phone and I remember how surreal it was as she told us her name.
Our daughter's name was Song Jia He.
I was trembling with excitement and awe.
She was real!
Our daughter was real!
And she had a name... a beautiful name...
Song Jia He.
I was beside myself.
Then I remember how I began to cry when Sarah told us how old she was. You see, we were listed to adopt a little girl up to 24 months old, so I was pretty sure we would be getting a little girl around the age of two. I was fine with that, but my heart secretly longed for a baby baby.
Well, God knows the desires of our hearts, doesn't He?
When Sarah told me that Kelly was nine months old, I was overcome with emotion. She was a baby baby!
After Sarah finished telling us all about our daughter-- where she lived, the name of her orphanage and her finding location- what she likes, what she doesn't like- how she's developing, her weight and her height-- she then asked us if we were ready for her to e-mail us her pictures. Without hesitation, we answered yes.
Clint was not able to get to a computer at the time so he would have to see the pictures later. He would call me as soon as he got back to his hotel room. We then hung up the phone and I called my sister as I waited for the pictures to come through. My sister and I were going over all of Kelly's information when the pictures arrived in my inbox.
As I sat there on the phone with my sister, I laid my eyes on my daughter for the very first time. I cried like I never knew I could.
She was so beautiful. So tiny, and so serious... and such a mystery to me. It was so strange that I didn't know her and she didn't know me, yet she was my daughter and I loved her.
Here are the pictures I saw that day:
On the Red Thread Journey of adoption,
that was the day that that long, winding red thread became taut,
and we got to glimpse who was at the other end!
I was so thrilled that I wanted to yank that red thread until Kelly was thrust into my arms, never to leave again!
Little did I know how much more agonizing the wait would get after that day. Oh, there were days I thought I would die. But we learned so much about perseverance in prayer through that time... especially Camryn who proved to be our faithful prayer warrior. There were days where I was so discouraged I couldn't even pray, but Camryn was always full of faith, ready and willing to pray.
Thankfully, it's all history now and Kelly's home where she belongs.
Today, we celebrate the one year anniversary of our blessed referral day!
4 comments:
Wow Jen! I really feel like I just experienced that with you all! What a powerful post that was. Seeing Kelly's first pictures brought a HUGE smile to my face. How incredible this journey is for you! In one sense, the journey is over since you have Kelly home with you, but in another sense, this wonderful journey is just beginning for your wonderful family. What a wonderful blessing Kelly is to you all and what a wonderful family she can call her own. God is so good!
Love you,
Deb
Yes, that one will always remain in the ranks of my FAVORITE days.
It was such a huge blessing to be there with you (even if just over the phone) when you saw your sweet baby for the first time.
Oh Kelly, how your Mommy LONGED for YOU. How she prayed for you and grieved your absence in her arms, and how wonderful it was to witness her joy when she finally saw your face. Even though I knew that the referral would be the beginning of a deeper pain as your Mommy continued to wait, I also knew that her real joy was yet to come, too.
Little one, you were very, very hard to wait for - but you are so very, very worth each and every heart wrenching moment.
Our family is brighter and even more full of life because of you, I am so happy that God chose US to bless with YOU.
Love,
Auntie
Thanks Deb- it's so nice to have a friend who knows and loves me and my children the way that you do. Yes, God is so good, not only to bless me with my children and family, but also with friends like you!
Jen, in my effort not to be so wordy- going "on and on" in my posts (although I still manage to ramble more than I should!), I forgot to say how special it was to share that moment with you! I doubt I would have cried like I did had I not been "with you" when I first saw Kelly's sweet face. The love and joy you shared in the moment with me made it a hundred times sweeter. You are always the one I feel safe with to just let it all go.
Thanks for being my soft place to fall, Sis,
I love you.
Jen
We didn't adopt from over seas, but we too had that experience when we adopted our youngest son, Noah, from Missouri. Lots of emotions involved from every angle, isn't there?
Bethany
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